


Down but Not Out

by Ashen_Serpent



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dating, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Platonic Relationships, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 16:44:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17791049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashen_Serpent/pseuds/Ashen_Serpent
Summary: Jäger feels left out when Blitz and Bandit start dating. IQ takes the initiative to start fixing things.





	Down but Not Out

Jäger was confused. This in of itself was not uncommon. His job required him to deal with people, and people by default were confusing. They had so many unspoken rules and systems that they never bothered to explain and then when mad would refuse to tell him where he went wrong. This caused a lot of unnecessary conflict in his life, which only increased when he joined the GSG9 and later Rainbow. It all lead back to the reason for his confusion: Bandit.

Bandit was brash and sarcastic, always having a stinging remark ready for whoever was near. He was often a little predatory, rivaling Smoke in his ability to drop crude jokes that made the target squirm, unable to tell if he was serious or if he just wanted to delight in their discomfort. And his pranks could blindside someone in an instant, absolutely ruining their day. Jäger still wasn't over the time when Bandit had stolen all of Jäger's clothes and filled his shower gel with glitter, leaving him to wander half-naked and sparkling all over the base in search of his clothes. And yet, Bandit could be astonishingly kind and perceptive when the situation called for it.

Just last week he spent hours helping a distraught Twitch finder her soldering tools after they'd been misplaced during a late-night attempt to optimize her drone. And earlier in the months he helped drag an injured Thermite to Doc's office, ensuring that he'd be cared for following the accidental discharge of a half-finished Brimstone. As of late, he'd even started to visit Jäger more often in the workshop, listening to him describe the latest modifications to his Magpies even though the straight hours hours of thinking around probably meant nothing to him. The altruistic behavior had made him wary at first, but after conferring with Blitz and IQ he figured it probably wasn't the setup to some cruel joke. Still, Bandit's actions occasionally left him puzzled and searching for answers that would only come through actually talking to people. Today was one of those days.

In the past few months, Bandit ended up dating Blitz. This threw off everyone in Rainbow, as they all knew Bandit's almost legendary resistance to emotional attachment. And yet, things seemed to be working out.

Bandit had mellowed a little, at least when Blitz was in the room, and Blitz appeared more relaxed, occasionally accepting compliments with a sheepish smile and a hand rubbing the back of his neck. Everyone in Rainbow agreed that the changes were good one and Jäger was happy for them. Really, he was. The way Blitz lit up whenever Bandit leaned against him and the way Bandit turned tomato red and started stammering whenever Blitz showed affection were absolutely adorable. They spent almost every waking hour together, jogging on the track, watching movies, even attempting to cook for each other with a fire extinguisher on standby. It was amazing how well they suited each other and Jäger had congratulated then upon finally asking each other out. He loved to see his teammates and friends that happy. It's just...

He felt left out.

Not that his team was ignoring him, no. He hung out with IQ, watching her tweak her Spectre and giving advice as needed. He spent time with Mute, Echo, Fuze, and Twitch in the workshop. He even had gotten into a disastrous sniping competition with Glaz, leading to his humiliation in front of the entire Spetnaz team. In short, he had people to be around. He just missed the extra time with Bandit.

Ever since they could actually stand each other, they began to spend time together, formulating how to better coordinate, both during practice and in the field. During bar crawls, they would sit together and watch Blitz better the mood of some lonely person while keeping an eye on Smoke in case he decided to hit on the wrong man, staring a fight that would force them to their next destination. And they'd have movie nights where the GSG9 would squeeze onto a too small couch and tear apart whatever three action movies they could agree on. Bandit still pranked him, a lot, but they could have fun together and still work in professional settings. It wasn't often Jäger had friends. He didn't was to lose them over some senseless emotions on his part.

So, he hid himself in the workshop, occasionally dragging himself out for food and sleep. He still did fine on missions so it wasn't a problem. He'd just wait out the feelings until they left. Then he'd be able to stand being in the same room as Blitz and Bandit again. Or at least that had been the plan until a note from Mute has IQ dragging him back to the GSG9 room, a look of concern planted on her features.

"Marius, talk to me. What's wrong?"

Jäger sat on his bed, looking anywhere but in front of him where IQ stood. His fingertips drummed on his thighs and he glanced up at IQ before his eyes darted away with a hand coming up to rub the back of his neck.

"It's nothing. Really."

IQ raised on eyebrow at him. "I doubt that practically dropping off the face of the Earth counts as nothing. Marius, _Mark_ had to let us know that you weren't doing okay. Why won't you talk to us? What happened?"

Jäger stared at the floor, his leg bouncing and his shoulders curled inwards. He brought his hands to his lap and began rubbing them together. He sighed and looked at the open door.

"It's just some emotions, Monika. I'll start spending time with the team again when I get a hold on them. I'd prefer not to let my bad attitude ruin your day."

"Marius, you are one of the most brash, opinionated people I know. Just last month you nearly got into a fist fight with Olivier while defending Gustave's honor. What's so sacred that you're afraid of hurting someone's feelings?"

Jäger's hands and leg stopped moving. He clenched his hands into fists atop his thighs and looked up at IQ, meeting her gaze. "Dominic and Elias are happy together. I shouldn't waste their time. I have other friends. I'll be fine."

IQ blinked, squared her shoulders, and crossed her arms. "Is that what you tell yourself? It sounds like you've been practicing that for a while."

Jäger flinched, crossing his arms and glaring off into a corner. His eyes were beginning to sting.

"So what? A lot that I say is practiced. What does it matter?"

IQ took a step forward and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't play games with me, Marius, be honest. Why didn't you mention feeling left out to them?"

Jäger sputtered. "What! I never said- how?" He held his head in his hands, his eyes hurting more. "Am I really that obvious? Look, Monika, I'm not trying to play games or waste your time. I want to be happy for them, but the emotions just interfere. It's best if I just stay out of everyone else's way until this blows over."

He heard a sign and felt the bed shift beside him. An arm gently dropped itself over his shoulders. Tears began to carve trails down his face.

"Marius, as smart as you are you have got to be one of the dumbest people I've ever met." A hand pressed against his shoulder blade, rubbing small circles along his upper back as his shoulders shook. "You are never in the way for feeling basic emotions. They may be inconvenient, but so are all people. Remember a couple years back, when you and Bandit got into that fight? We all barely knew each other at that point and still managed to work things out." She leaned her head against his. "We care about you, Marius. We just need to know what you need help with."  
IQ's hand fell from his shoulder as she got off the bed. Jäger blinked tears out of his eyes and looked up at her. IQ held out a hand.

"Get up, Marius. You need to wash your face. Then we can deal with this problem."

Jäger nodded and took her hand, letting himself get pulled up. Once standing, he shuffled past IQ, trudging over to the sink and splashing water on his face. He took a washcloth and scrubbed the salt off his skin, trying to rid himself of any evidence of tears. When he was done, he dried his face and turned back to IQ who stood with her arms crossed over her chest and a small smile on her face.

"Uh, thanks for making me acknowledge this, I guess. I'm not happy about it, but it probably needed to happen."

IQ walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "You still need to talk to them, Marius. This won't go away until you face it directly."

Jäger shifted his weight back and forth. "Are you sure? I mean, they're happy together. I shouldn't interrupt."

"Marius, talk to them. Dominic and Elias are our teammates. They'll understand."

"I don't like this."

"And I don't like coming in second placed during spontaneous races. They'll listen. It'll be okay. Love doesn't make people that stupid."

Jäger sighed and nodded. "I guess I'll trust your judgement in this."

IQ bumped shoulders with him. "Relax. Things will turn out okay. Last I heard, they were going to watch some movies in the TV room. I'd look for them there."

Jäger nodded, heading to the door where he stopped and turned around. "Hey, Monika. Thanks for the advice and vote of confidence. You're better at this than I am."

She smiled and waved him off. "Quit stalling, Marius. And get out of the doorway, I have paperwork to do."

Jäger chuckled out a small "yeah" and exited the room. He then headed to the TV room, giving short waves to the operators he passed by. After what felt like hours but was more likely mere minutes, he stood outside the TV room, shifting his feet and listing to the narration of whatever movie was playing.

Inside the room, Blitz and Bandit were cuddled up on a couch. Blitz stared at whatever was playing with open fascination while Bandit watched more casually, sneaking glances at Blitz and rubbing small circles on the nape of his neck with his thumb. They looked so relaxed together, so content. In all the time that they were dating, it was apparent that they really cared about each other. Fuck. He couldn't do this. He shouldn't ruin their time together. He could just bring it up later, at a better time, so he wouldn't-

"Are you going to keep lurking in the doorway or are you going to come inside and watch? I promised I don't bite too hard."

Jäger flinched and glared at Bandit who smirked at him while Blitz gestured for him to enter the room. He dragged his feet as he tried over to the couch and ended up hovering beside it. He rocked back and forth on his heels, gaze shifting between the couple and the movie, which looked like some kind of documentary on prehistoric life. After a while, Bandit paused the documentary and turned to him.

"Are you going to stand there all day? I know my lap's the best seat in the building, but there are couches with a decent view literally everywhere in the room."

Blitz then looked at him with brows furrowed. "Do you want me to scoot over? It'd be a tight fit, but we've gotten the whole team on here before. Here, let me move over for you."

Blitz began to make room for him, but Jäger waved him off with both hands. "Actually, that's not the problem." He continued to rock on his heels, crossing his arms over his chest and focusing on a distant corner of the room. "I- could I ask something of you two?"

Bandit raised an eyebrow and Blitz shifted in his seat. "Uh, sure. What do you need, Marius?"

Jäger open his mouth to speak and then closed it. He looked at them, focus shifting between Blitz and Bandit. He took a deep breath.

"I want to be around you more. You- you spend a lot of time together and-" He grabbed his hair and pulled hard, his scalp stinging. "N-never mind. It's pointless." He turned and began to walk away. "Forget I said anything."

"Stop right there."

Jäger froze in the doorway as a hand squeezed his arm. He tried to keep his irrational breathing in check as his eyes began to sting again. He felt the hand on his arm pull him and looked at Bandit who stood eye to eye with him, looking furious.

"What's your problem?"

Jäger tugged his arm back, trying fruitlessly to escape his grip. "It's nothing. Go back to your movie."

Bandit's grip tightened and his lips drew back into a sneer. "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

Jäger whined. "You wouldn't want to hear it. Back off before someone gets hurt."

Bandit blinked and then snarled, loud enough to prompt Blitz to start heading over. "'Before someone gets hurt?' Marius, that's already fucking happened! For over a week we rarely saw you and then when we did you refused to talk. You left the room every time Blitz and I and then you would only leave the workshop once a day. Fucking Mark started to get worried for you! You just disappeared and never told us what was wrong. So don't you dare come here and leave after only a handful of words!" Bandit's other hand gripped the side of his face and his voice lowered to a murderous whisper. "Marius, tell me what's wrong and I will destroy whatever is causing you trouble. Just say the word and you'll never have to worry about it again."

Jäger shook his head frantically and pulled back, trying to regain some personal space. A hand landed on Bandit's shoulder and Blitz tilted his head back, prompting him to release his grip and step back, eyes still boring into Jäger.

"Yelling aside, Dominic's right. We see you suffer from something, and yet you won't tell us what it is." Blitz rested his fingertips on Jäger's shoulder. "Please, friend, let me help you. Tell us why you were crying earlier."

Jäger let in a shaky breath, trying desperately to regain some composure. "You- I..." He held his head in his hands, finally whispering, "I feel alone."

Blitz titled his head. "I'm sorry. What?"

"I said, 'I feel alone.' I had just gotten so used to being around you both and having friends that I'm at a loss with you dating." He waved his hands in front of him and curled his shoulders. "D-don't get me wrong! I'm happy for yo and think you're very cute together. It's just..." His hands dropped to his sides and he stared at the floor. "I don't know how to spend time with you, now that you're dating. I don't want to interrupt things or waste time, so I figured leaving you to yourselves would work better. I didn't want to ruin things for you."

Painful silence reigned after he finished speaking. With a sigh, Jäger turned and stepped forward to leave the room, only to be stopped by a pair of arms around his waist.

"Marius, you tactless dumbass. Why the fuck would you think you'd manage to ruin this? Stop doing my job for me."

Jäger turned his head and saw Bandit hugging him from behind. He looked into his eyes and saw that they were staring to redden.

"Dom, please don't cry. It'll be weird for us both."

"Shut the fuck up. I'll cry if I want to. It's not like my friend just dropped the fact he's too worried to spend time with his friends! What, did you think that I'd hate you or something?"

Jäger turned away and started at a far wall.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Marius! I've known you for years. Why would I start hating you now?" Bandit paused and patted Jäger on the chest. "Actually, don't answer that. Please."

Jäger felt a hand turn him around and saw Blitz, who promptly dragged them both into a group hug. "I am so sorry that I didn't ask sooner. Marius, please remember that we care about you, okay? Yes, you can be annoying. Yes, you can be a haughty bastard at times. But none of that negates the fact that we love you." He pulled back to look Jäger in the eyes, almost crying. "So please, don't leave. In fact, I'd like to invite you to watch something with us. It's rather fascinating. I think you'd like it."

Jäger nodded, scrubbing his face and slowly disentangling himself from them. "Thank you. I love you all so much." He heard footsteps behind him and saw IQ approaching, an expectant look on her face. "And I'd like to see that movie. It looked weird, but in a good way."

Blitz laughed at that and lead him back to the couch where they all piled on. IQ dragged a blanked over them and Bandit took control of the remote while Blitz made sure Jäger was snuggled in the middle of them before the movie was resumed. Then there, among his friends, Jäger could finally relax, confusion having to wait for another day.


End file.
